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Abortion conference protested with disturbing images

An international anti-abortion group began distributing flyers with graphic images of what they say are aborted fetuses in Charlottetown Wednesday, in advance of a pro-choice abortion conference in the city.

International pro-choice abortion conference about to start in Charlottetown

An international anti-abortion group began distributing flyers with graphic images of what they say are aborted fetuses in Charlottetown Wednesday, in advance of a pro-choice abortion conference in the city.

People need to see what abortion looks like, says Siobhan McLeod of Show the Truth. (CBC)

A group of members of Show the Truth were travelling around Charlottetown on a bus, dropping the flyers in people's mailboxes and leaving them on door steps.

"We want to be here to show people the truth behind what is being spoken about, because people need to see the reality of abortion," said Siobhan McLeod of Show the Truth.

Most of the Show the Truth members who've travelled to P.E.I. are from Ontario, but they told CBC News there are some locals in the group as well.

Charlottetown Police say they received about a dozen calls of complaint by mid-Wednesday about the flyers, but that the group is not breaking any laws.

Show the Truth members are travelling around Charlottetown in a bus. (CBC)

Residents in one neighbourhood where the flyers had been distributed had only complaints for CBC News about what Show the Truth is calling a postcard campaign.

David Kay felt the campaign was inappropriate.

"It's graphic and in all my years I've never seen something like that. It gets the message across for what it's trying to say, but it's not necessary," he said.

Amanda Livingston runs a home daycare and was upset when her children saw the flyer.

"When I looked at it, I was mortified," said Amanda Livingston.

"I've never seen anything like it. It was just really hard to swallow, especially with a 10-year-old coming down and asking what it was."

Amanda Livingston was upset when her children saw the Show the Truth flyer. (CBC)

McLeod said the flyers are not meant for children.

"The post cards are for the parents,” she said.

“If a child comes across a postcard, parents are encouraged to be honest with the child and explain that something bad is happening to babies, but there are people out there trying to stop it."

The group is in Charlottetown in reaction to a conference at the University of Prince Edward Island which starts Thursday. The conference is titled Abortion: The Unfinished Revolution. It is billing itself as the first international academic conference of its kind in Canada.

Show the Truth will be on the Island for the next week and will start the second part of their campaign Thursday. They say they plan to stand on street corners around Charlottetown with the graphic images featured on larger posters.

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